Guess what, I am not a robot: simulating the impact of automation at work on wellbeing

This projects deliverable will be a simulation game. The envisioned single-player game can be either computer based (possibly to be accessed online) or a smartphone app. The game is intended to put a player into the role of a manager of a factory (e.g. commercial pizza production https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7anib2L7uUk ) the player has to decide what level of automation they wish to implement for various work steps in their plant. Each level of automation (in terms of how many tasks, but also the type of automation i.e. level of autonomous systems) will have implications for productivity, but may also affect workers mental health. We would like to be able to have different conditions/ scenarios with varied implications of automation on wellbeing and production. The game will ask the player to make choices. Each choice will be connected to changes in worker wellbeing and performance parameters/ outcomes. The changes in these outcomes are presented to a player on a dashboard and they can at each step adjust/ select actions to balance out worker wellbeing and productivity. Depending on how complex an algorithm we can develop that links player choices with outcomes players will be shown in the game, we might like to also introduce the option for players to choose settings for some other work design factors, not just automation, such as giving workers more autonomy, or support. Initially we intend to use the game for research purposes, so that we can collect behavioural data from people who play the game (different conditions/ scenarios (i.e. strength of association between automation and wellbeing; varying production pressures; initial choices, choices after the game gives them feedback regarding consequences of their choices). This means the game also needs to be able to record player progress through the game (player input and consequent game outcomes). We would be keen to have options to manipulate the extent to which levels of automation impact workers, so that we can vary this factor in experimental research studies, i.e. have some players participate under a game setting where worker wellbeing is hugely impacted by increasing automation, and have other players participate in a game setting where worker wellbeing is only mildly impacted by increasing automation.

Client


Contact: Laura Fruhen
Phone: 0412125950
Email: [email protected]
Preferred contact: Email
Location: Crawley

IP Exploitation Model


The IP exploitation model requested by the Client is: Creative Commons (open source) http://creativecommons.org.au/


Department of Computer Science & Software Engineering
The University of Western Australia
Last modified: 22 June 2020
Modified By: Michael Wise 		UWA